Nothing like that. His gifts just cover his ability to understand and carry out the more fantastical parts of his act. The same gifts any good magician or hypnotist needs, y'know?

That's what I thought. I just had to post that to make sure.

Anyway, unfortunately, LizardBite isn't online at the moment. I'm going to make a thread to begin the DRYH scenes, one for each of your Awakenings. I'll petition for LB to move them into the DRYH section once he logs on.

Stand by for incoming game.

LORD, WHAT CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR, IF NOT THE CARE OF THE REAPER MAN? - Death, in Terry Pratchett's Reaper Man

EXHAUSTION TALENT: Fast talking. Who knows, with enough exhaustion I might even be able to convince them to extend my deadline again, but I can't risk that.

MADNESS TALENT: What I write or type becomes true, but not always the way I meant it.

Who are you? John Robertson, novelist, my first novel was heaped with praise but I'm not sure it was totally deserved. the negative feed back loop about this in my own mind can't be helping the writers block.

What's been keeping you awake? Writers block. After my first novel was published I received a deal to publish my next three with a generous advance. Now the second extended deadline for the first novel is looming and I haven't even finished half of it. The advance has already been spent and if they demand it back I'm screwed.

What happened when you Awakened?I had been staring at the blank page on my computer screen for over an hour and I decided to type in some affirmations to build my confidence. Everything was going great until I typed the sentence "You are afire with brilliant ideas." Fortunately I was able to strip off my sweater before the rest of my cloths caught fire. Each bit of flame was filled with images, ideas on where to go with my novel, but I had to beat them out before my apartment caught fire so I couldn't take the time to examine them closely. I decided that this had clearly been some stress based hallucination and decided to take a walk to clear my head and think about if I should set up an appointment with a psychiatrist. I grabbed my jacket and out of force of habit the note pad and pencil I carry most everywhere in case I have a brilliant idea.

Who are you on the surface?A young, talented, novelist hailed as the writer of the best new novel in 2011 (the first deadline for my new book was June 2012). Casually dressed and confident on the surface.

Who are you under that?My first novel was clearly a fluke. I'll never be able to write something that good again let alone something better. I'm not sure I should even bother trying at this point. If I still had their money I'd return the advance and break my contract.

What's your path?Either I have to overcome my self doubt and this writers block or admit I've failed as an author and find a mind numbing boring job to support myself on. Right now I'm too stressed to do the first and admitting the latter just may kill me.

His madness talent could be very powerful but as you see from the example of his awakening I built in a limitation where what he writes can be misinterpreted for humorous and/or horrific effect.

Looks good to me, Proxy, though as your character is one that has explicitly already had his first encounter with his Madness Talent, I'll have to take a little bit to figure out how to get you into the game. I've got an idea already, but I need a bit to think it through. Expect a PM asking you about it soon.

LORD, WHAT CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR, IF NOT THE CARE OF THE REAPER MAN? - Death, in Terry Pratchett's Reaper Man

Looks good to me, Proxy, though as your character is one that has explicitly already had his first encounter with his Madness Talent, I'll have to take a little bit to figure out how to get you into the game. I've got an idea already, but I need a bit to think it through. Expect a PM asking you about it soon.

Need to start prep on some food for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. I'll get to replying when I have a chance.

EXHAUSTION TALENT: Skilled Hands. My hands are quick and talented enough to do a lot of things.

MADNESS TALENT: Idle Playthings. I can create toys that can do anything. Need a toy laser pistol that shoot REAL lasers? I can whip it up. Want a plastic jetpack that can fly you anywhere? That can be done too.

Who are you? Dean Lemesque, toymaker and widower. Aged 51, I sell toys to the children of the little town I live in.

What's been keeping you awake? I lost my wife to a horrible disease years ago, and last week was the 30th anniversary of her death. As well, sales haven’t been going well recently, and I’m worried I might end up homeless.

What happened when you Awakened?As I was closing up shop for the night, I heard a clicking noise, similar to that of a wind-up key. I went into my store, thinking that a child might have left one of my toys wound up, but all the toys were silent. But then I heard the clicking again, right outside the door…

Who are you on the surface?A kindly, grandfatherly figure, affectionately referred to as “Uncle Dean” by the children in the town.

Who are you under that?A tired man that keeps going for the sake of his town’s children. They look up to him, and he’d HATE to disappoint them. He’s also been depressed about his wife’s death, even 30 years after the fact.

What's your path?I need to get over my wife’s death. Be it through some sort of confirmation that she’s happier now, or through simple acknowledgement that being depressed won’t get her back. As well, I need to either get more business or else find a new job so that I don’t end up broke and homeless.

Also, as a bonus, here’s what my madness talent creates as a Nightmare.You can create toys that can do anything, right? But why are you always making them for yourself? You’re a TOYMAKER! Your job is to make toys for other people! So you start travelling the City, selling your toys to anyone who’ll buy them. The problem is, your toys are a bit… Odd. Your dolls kill their owners, toy guns explode in people’s hands, sleds seem to home in on trees… but that’s okay. They’re dead, it’s not like they can take their money back! Eventually, you become an old, wizened figure, hunched over and cackling over your ill-gotten money. You sell your deadly toys to people, all to gain MORE, MORE, MORE!!!! You’ve become Scrooge ‘R’ Us.